How do you clean a guinea pig?

Question

Do I wash it's fur, or does it clean itself?

Answer 1

Guinea pigs are very sensitive and may catch a cold or get pneumonia from the water. It's best to just let them take a dust bath. They sell this stuff at pet stores.

Answer 2

You don't necessarily have to clean a guinea pig, but it's like other pets--it'll smell better and have softer fur if you do, occasionally, give it a bath. If you've got a long-haired variety, you might want to bathe it regularly just to keep its coat looking nice and free from mats/soils/other crap.

Use shampoo that's designed for pets or babies, to make sure you don't give your pig a rash. Fill the sink or basin with just an inch or two of warm water--not enough to fully submerge the pig, or even close to it, or it might drown. Keep the shampoo away from its face, because even mild stuff will irritate the eyes and nose, and water in the ears can lead to ear infections. Just lather up its body with a little dollop of shampoo and then rinse it thoroughly. Give the pig a rub-down with a towel, and then let it run around somewhere safe to finish drying before you put it back in its cage.

Answer 3

If it's belly and fur smells like pee, you should buy rabbit or guinea pig shampoo at the pet store. fill the sink with water so the water is at the top of your piggy's legs.He might start squirming, but the most important things are making sure that he doesn't get water in his mouth or nose, and that he doesn't fall out of the sink. Take a squirt of shampoo, about fingernail sized, and lather it into your piggy's fur. Take a handful of water and gently pour it over his back. Make sure none gets in his eyes. Once all the shampoo is rinsed out, immediatly take him out and wrap him in a clean towel. Rub him with it until he's completely dry. Guinea pigs have weak immune systems so if he is cold and wet for too long, he could catch a cold.

Answer 4

I bathe my guinea pigs about twice a year. I use Johnson's Baby shampoo on them and it has worked perfectly fine. I do not wash their heads. I use a sprayer (like at your kitchen sink) and place them in a shallow little plastic box. It prevents them from running all over the place. The box I use is about the size of a shoe box and is plastic. I then towel dry them and am sure they are very warm while drying. They can get a chill very easily so it is very important to keep them in a warm place until they are totally dry. One of my pigs is long haired and I even clip her bottom 2x a year so she doesn't get poopy stuck in it. I use standard dog clippers, I am sure you could find a local pet groomer who would even do it for you.

Answer 5

i have 2 gp's and what i do is give them bathes.....in a big bowl....the sink....or the tub. go to the pet stoor and buy squeeky clean shampoo....and the spray. thay might not like the bath. i bathe mine in the tub so that they can run around. dont fill the tub too full but not to shallow either. the water should be room temperature and dont let the gp get cold. oh and sometimes they will swim around its realy cute. bathe them about once a week or so and spray them when they start to stink.

Answer 6

Like all rodents, they're self-cleaning. All you need to do is keep their cage clean.

Answer 7

Just give it a bath